Love Bird
by maddiem235
Summary: Beatrice meets two boys, perfect for selling to Adelaide. But what happens when she falls in love with one of them, specifically a certain, nerdy gnome? Wirt X Beatrice
1. Boys in the Woods

**(A/N: I'm just going to let you guys know in advance, this is not going to be the exact story; it'll have some changes in it. And also, I don't own any of the** **Over The Garden Wall** **characters, settings, etc, you guys get the gist. Okay, that's all, happy reading!)**

There, coming towards me, were two boys. They perfectly fit Adelaide's requirements of "young, strong children." _Well, maybe not that tall, skinny one with the gnome hat,_ I thought to myself. _The little teapot child at least seems to have some muscle. He's carrying that frog without much difficulty._ I took a deep breath; I couldn't scare these strangely-dressed children away or I'd have to find another servant for Adelaide, and how often do _young_ people come meandering aimlessly through these woods? Mustering up all of my courage, I flew down to a lower branch where the two boys could see me. Up close, I could see that the "gnome" was actually a lot older than I first thought he was; about 14-15 years old, my age. The teapot child looked to be about five or six maybe? I wasn't sure. I heard the "gnome" say, "Shoot, Greg, we're really lost, I think we need to find some help." Here was my chance.

Taking a deep breath, I cleared my throat and said, "Maybe _I_ can help you. I mean, you guys are lost, right?" Just as expected, Mr. Gnome didn't take it well. He gasped and turned as pale as a ghost. The teapot child, Greg, just looked mildly interested.

"Yes, we are lost, can you help us please?" Greg asked me happily. His frog gave an equally happy croak. Gnome Boy looked horrified.

"Greg!" he hissed. "Don't talk to it! I don't need you getting us into more trouble!"

"It?" I asked, irritated. I was liking this guy less and less. "Excuse you, Gnome Boy, but I have a name and it's Beatrice. Also, it just so happens that I know how to get you two out of these woods and back to wherever you came from, so if you want me to help you, I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from calling me 'it.'" Gnome Boy looked a bit surprised at my sudden outburst, opened his mouth to say something, but then decided against saying anything to make the situation worse and closed it.

"You do? Well that's great! Let's go, Brother o' Mine!" Greg exclaimed, looking up at his older brother.

"Greg…" Gnome Boy muttered tensely. "I'm not sure that's the best idea." I huffed and he looked up at me. "How are you even planning to get us home anyway?" he inquired.

I was getting a bit frustrated. "I was just going to tell you that, so listen for a second. There is a woman, Adelaide of the pasture, who can bring you back home," I lied. He looked a bit skeptical. "Look, I know the way and if you want to come with me, then come. If not, I'll just go by myself." _I have my own things to settle with her anyway_ , I thought. I could almost see the wheels turning in Gnome Boy's head, wondering whether or not he'd be able to trust me. He looked down at young Greg, and Greg nodded back up at the former.

"C'mon Wirt, it'll be fine. Beatrice seems pretty nice!" I looked at the leaves above me, feeling a bit guilty already. _Alright Beatrice, hold it together, you are a strong individual and you don't even know these people,_ I reasoned. _Besides, this is all for your family._ The voice of the gnome boy (I thought Greg had said "Wirt"? What kind of a name was that?) drew me back out of my thoughts.

"Okay Beatrice. We'll come with you," Gnome Boy said. "Lead the way." I flew down off of my branch and started to fly down the path, then looked behind me to make sure the two were following me. Greg was skipping along ahead with his frog sitting on top of his teapot hat, but Wirt was trailing about ten feet behind, lost in thought. He seemed to be mumbling something to himself. I was a bit curious and slowed down a bit, hoping to catch a bit of what he was saying.

"Forever wandering aimlessly into the dismal abyss, the moon's rays my only companion through the darkness of the forest," Wirt mumbled dramatically.

"Wow, Gnome Boy, did you write that yourself?" I asked him, genuinely interested. Wirt jumped and his ears turned a bright red.

"Um, well, I…" he stuttered, completely embarrassed that I heard him. I rolled my eyes at him as he fumbled for words. _He's such a nerd,_ I thought to myself.

"C'mon, let's just focus on finding a town so we can get some rest," I told him and Greg, who was wandering up ahead, collecting "cool" rocks. Wirt seemed perfectly fine with changing the subject, and resumed trailing behind Greg and me. I decided to leave him to his nerdy poetry.


	2. Walking

We walked for a while as the night sky grew lighter and lighter. Greg was way ahead now, him and his frog skipping along and talking/croaking to each other. I stayed behind, talking with Wirt. Well, it was more like attempting to talk to Wirt. He didn't have much to say, so our conversations were short and slightly awkward, until I finally found something interesting to discuss.

"So, Gnome Boy," I began. "Is Wirt your nickname or do your parents just hate you?"

Wirt sighed. "It's just a nickname. Greg's the one who started it, and now everyone calls me that, even my parents."

"Well, what's your real name?" I inquired, intrigued.

"Um, well…" Wirt stumbled. "It's stupid," he muttered.

"Oh come on Gnome Boy, you can tell me!"

"It's Walter!" he blurted. His ears turned a bright red. "There, now you know. My parents named me after my grandfather because he was some amazing war hero, and Greg couldn't pronounce it properly so… yeah." He looked down at his shoes.

"Oh, Wirt, that's not a bad name at all! It suits you just fine! Besides, you should be thankful you don't have a worse name. My mom named my brother Gerald, isn't that just a…" I trailed off, realizing what I'd said.

"Did… did you just say… do you have a family, Beatrice?" Wirt inquired, surprised.

"Damn it!" I cursed. I had already broken the promise to myself that I wouldn't get to know the boys too well, lest I somehow became attached to them (but that was sadly backfiring). I hadn't wanted to break my second promise to myself so soon: that I wouldn't let them know anything about me. _What the hell is wrong with you, Beatrice?_ I chastised myself.

"Well…" Wirt prompted.

"Of course I have a family, I didn't just pop into existence randomly," I snapped, a bit irritated. Wirt realized he had touched a nerve and, thankfully, didn't press the issue. "So, um, you're into poetry?" I asked, changing the subject.

"What? Oh, yeah, I guess."

"What do you mean 'you guess,' Gnome Boy? That was some full blown Edgar Allan Poe stuff you were reciting earlier," I exclaimed.

The boy blushed slightly. "It's just a little hobby. It just comes to me. Why do you even care anyway? Are you interested in poetry too?" he inquired.

"Oh, hell no!" I exclaimed a little too quickly. Honestly, I cared because the fact that he was sensitive and liked poetry was so different than from what other boys I'd met were like. I was almost…

 _Nope, nope, nope, nope, and NOPE. This is not going to happen, these boys are going straight to Adelaide's and that will be the end of it and I'll get my family turned back into humans. I don't really care about this… this… gnome boy._ Wirt and I continued along in silence, and I battled with my feelings. _You don't even know him, you met him 12 hours ago, he could be a total creep for all you know_. The sound of Greg's voice brought me back to reality.

"Look! Look up ahead! There's a big mansion up there!" Greg exclaimed in delight. "Come on guys, let's go to it!" His frog croaked happily. "Plus, I'm really hungry!" the little boy added. His stomach growled, conveniently proving his point.

Wirt looked a bit uneasy. "Greg, we don't even know who lives there."

"I do!" I exclaimed. "That's where old Mr. Endicott lives. He sells tea," I added. Suddenly, I was struck with an idea. "What if you guys pretended to be his long-lost nephews? Then he would surely let you in, and we might be able to get some money from him to get on the ferry to go to Adelaide's house." It was the perfect plan. I heard a little cough and looked down to see Wirt fidgeting awkwardly. He looked really anxious about the whole plan. _Huh, he looks kind of cute when he's nervous_ , I thought involuntarily. I realized what had crossed my mind and threw the notion from my head, angry with myself.

My anger must have shown on my face, because Wirt said, "Look, I'm sorry Beatrice, and I don't want to make you angry, but I don't think we should scam this guy. It's just not a very nice thing to do."

"Oh my god, Wirt, we just need two pennies." He looked shocked. "Plus, you two might really be his long lost nephews, he's really old." I said.

"It'll help us get to Adelaide, Wirt! C'mon! Plus, we'll get to meet our new Unkie!" Greg exclaimed, ecstatic. He and Wirt were polar opposites.

The hopeful look on Greg's face was enough to make anyone cave in. "Okay," Wirt agreed reluctantly. Greg let out an exclamation of excitement, and sprinted down the path to the mansion, clutching his frog. Wirt sighed as he began to walk, and I flew beside him, trying to make sense of my feelings.


	3. Mr Endicott's Mansion

**(A/N: Wow. I know I haven't updated in awhile. And I mean a while, like, more than six months. And I am reeeeeeaaally sorry about that. I kinda forgot I even started writing this tbh. I'll try to update a bit more regularly. Okay, that's all, sorry again. T_T)**

Greg pounded on the massive, wooden door of Mr. Endicott's mansion. Wirt flinched at the loud noise, and I floated above. A minute went by, then two.

"C'mon, let's go, the guy obviously isn't home," Wirt insisted.

"No, no, it's fine, just knock again Greg," I countered, glaring at Wirt. Wirt sighed. I wondered if he'd actually thought he could change my mind with some feeble words. I scowled.

Greg knocked again, this time banging his teapot against the door. The door suddenly swung wide open. Out stepped a lively old man with purple coat and a top hat.

"What can I do for you young lads?" he asked sincerely. Upon noticing me, he added, "And you, Ms. Bluebird?"

"These two boys have been wandering through the woods for days to find you," I informed him with as much charm as I could. He just nodded, not at all surprised by the fact that I was a talking bird. "You are their long-lost great uncle!"

He gasped in surprise. "I never knew that I had great nephews! Come in, come in! We must have a feast to celebrate this splendid occasion!" he exclaimed. He skipped inside, overflowing with joy. Greg followed him, and the two of them began talking immediately. Greg's frog was tucked snugly between his arms, and he appeared to be contently listening to their conversation. Wirt hesitantly took a step inside. I flew ahead of him.

As soon as I saw the inside of the mansion, I knew for sure that we'd have no problem finding the money we needed. The foyer was so ornate and decorated that I couldn't help but imagine how fancy the other rooms were. I had known this guy was rich, but I didn't know he was _this_ loaded. I glanced at Wirt and Greg to see how they were reacting. Greg's eyes were practically sparkling with amazement. Even his frog looked stunned. Or maybe Greg had just been shaking him around too much. Wirt was also excited, but it seemed different than Greg's excitement. He was muttering to himself, and the few words I caught among his mumbling were "architecture," "structure," and "Georgian." What a nerd.

Mr. Endicott watched us all, waiting for us to finish ogling at the house. He looked like he'd expected this to happen. He'd probably experienced it many times. Once we'd all gotten a good look at our surroundings, Mr. Endicott led us onward to his dining hall. Portraits lined the walls of the hallways we passed through, mostly depicting the old man himself. The others were of forests and scenes of nature. The guy sure did like his paintings.

We finally reached the dining hall. The walls were painted with stripes of two different shades of green. There was a humongous oak-wood table in the center of the room. It looked as if it could seat 30 people. "We shall have a feast! I am so glad to have some company!" Mr. Endicott exclaimed jovially. He bustled into another room. It occurred to me that the old man probably didn't get a lot of visitors, and the thought of him eating by himself at this huge table saddened me.

We sat down at the table to wait for Mr. Endicott to bring out the food. How he was going to make a feast all by himself was beyond me, but I sat on the table, prepared to wait patiently. Greg was rambling on and on about how nice "Unkie Endicott" was, and how he couldn't wait to get some food because his tummy had been rumbling all day. I sat quietly, appreciating Greg's happiness and energy. I peeked at Wirt, and saw that he was deep in thought. I wondered what he was thinking about. I wondered if it was me.

Within ten minutes, Mr. Endicott came running out with two large platters of food, bustled into the kitchen, and retrieved two more. Greg wasted no time in grabbing all of the food his tiny fists could carry. "Wow, Mr. Endicott, this is really impressive! How did you get all of this food ready so quickly?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh, it was nothing. I prepare lots of food every day in case any one comes to visit!" the old man explained. I was hit with another pang of sadness for Mr. Endicott and his solitary life. We all ate rather quickly, and made small talk. Then, a rather strange topic came up.

"So this place is haunted?" Greg exclaimed in wonder, after Mr. Endicott had finished talking about a pretty ghost that lived in his mansion. "That's so cool! Can I see her?" He didn't seem at all frightened with the idea of a ghost.

"Er, no I… I don't think that's a good idea," Mr. Endicott faltered. This was the first time since meeting him that I'd seen his exuberant nature slip.

"Oh, c'mon Unkie, it'll be fun! We'll be ghost hunters!" Greg prompted. I realized how convenient this would be. If Greg went off with Mr. Endicott on a ghost hunt, it would give Wirt and me some time to find some loose change. But I could sense Mr. Endicott's hesitation. We would all have to persuade him.

"It would be some quality bonding time with your nephew!" I suggested. As soon as I'd said it, I could tell that Mr. Endicott would do it. He was so desperate for companionship that he'd pretty much do anything to have someone to be with, even if it meant looking for a ghost he was obviously terrified of.

"Okay, I'll do it," he relented. "But what about you and my other nephew?"  
"We'll just stay here and relax," I fibbed. "It's been a long day of travel." I looked at Wirt and winked, and then Wirt nodded quickly. He then yawned dramatically, emphasizing how tired he was.

"Alright, we'll be back soon," Mr. Endicott said, voice trembling. He left the room, Greg pulling him along by the hand. As soon as they left, Wirt and I looked at each other.

"Hey, the yawn was a nice touch," I told him, trying to sound aloof.

"Thanks!" he said, surprised that I wasn't being sarcastic or mean towards him. "So what's the plan?"

"We're going to look through the house for some loose change, take it, and go on our way," I explained. He looked shocked.

"We're going to steal from him?" he exclaimed.

"Shhhhhhh!" I scolded. "Don't say that so loud! Besides, it's not like he's going to miss the money very much."

"Fine," he groaned. "Man, I really hope this Adelaide woman is going to be worth all of this trouble."

My stomach lurched as I thought about Adelaide. "Yep, she sure is," I assured. "But let's get to work. We've got some coins to find."


End file.
